Museum site for members and fans.

[trolleyboy]

Good morning everyone. Gunns great progress as usual, you guy's seem to be right on schedule.Should I start booking tickets for the inaygeral run yet? As to us slow and steady progress is being made on the removed main switch units of lake Erie and Northern Combine 797 body restoration has also begun in earnest as well.We've hit a small snag in the operational vialbility of L&PS #8 ( 1915 Jewett passenger combine )We are the only museum in Canada which operates any cars with patongraphs. We had a couple of broken ears on the east pan which we have replaced but all spare parts have dried up.Modern pans are too expensive and will not work well on these cars. At the moment our shop guys are dissasembling our one spar pantagraph from long scrapped sister car L&PS #4. We should be able to duplicate it with the few spares we have left but this will take up our remaining stock of spares.With two pans on #* and frieght locomotive L&PS L2 which is going to be made operable as time and funds allow this puts us behind an 8 ball for sure. Anyone with thoughts or knowing of early 1900's GE pan parts please let us know.. Thanks Rob

[Gunns]

27 Aug 05

Saturday,
well the bell went to the all roads to Albuqurque tricentenial program, along with many club members we were well recieved, and just about emptyed the lobby when we rang the bell <G>
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adn?full=1
After the program we got back to the work site, work on the Brake bell cranks continued, wit a new wear plate fabricated to replace a worn plate. Once this plate is welded in another finshed bell crank can be installed.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/ade?full=1
all the bell cranks on truck #13 have been removed and inspected, bearings have been renewed, and only one more bearing is needed for this truck.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adf?full=1
On truck #4 the support bracket that prevents a broken brake beam from falling on the tracks has been renewed and re positioned, apperently thiese brackets on the front of both trucks had hit something on the tracks while in service. Note our two 8 wheel buckeye trucks have number plates on them Id ing them as numbers 13 <rear truck> and 4 <front truck>
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adg?full=1
With all the remaining springs removed, the springs are being cleaned and coated with preservitive this one by Neadle scaling,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adj?full=1
and this one in a sandblasting cabinet.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adk?full=1
This set of springs have yet to be serviced, and are waiting thier turn.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adl?full=1
Also the crib work under the oil bunker was moved so the last stick of dunnage could be reattached.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adm?full=1

Lastly, a view into the fire box,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adi?full=1
and the view from the cab.

More to come,
Gunns

[Gunns]

Wends, Aug 31.05

Work continues on the trucks, the last bell crank on truck 13 was refurbished with bearings and installed. Also the felt gasket for the wipers in the brake cyls was fitted to a cylnder. It was also tool repair day, with various handles, and support items being brought to opperating condition.

more to come,
Gunns

[Anonymous]

Here's a pic of the IRM mainline ... right now!

[trolleyboy]

Barn dad a nice shot to be sure. Were you cleaning out a storage barn or something? I didn't think you folks kept that much equipment out of doors. We have a constant battle to keep our equipment housed the sun / rail a nd wind blown dust etc wreak havoc on paint jobs and equipment.here's a shot from last July 10th on our museums 50th celebrations. Yard three filled up to almost bursting with the days revenue equipment and static displays. A nice cross section of some of our 60 pieces of street railway equipment. Rob

[Anonymous]

Rob, in response to your question, though there are 10 barns at IRM, we still keep quite a bit outside. I believe the on-site inventory is close to 300. so there just isn't room for everything to be inside.
The picture I posted is from one of our web cams that you can access from the website. Sorry, but the trolley cam hasn't worked for a very long time.

[trolleyboy]

Your lucky 10 barns wow! We have three and are currently building #4 which is to house the remainder of our outside stored equipment as well as three or fore pieces stored in our barn #2 which is the restoration / work shop. So the new barn is full before it's built. #5 isn't even contemplated yet it's been 20 years in the design / decision and fundraising to build #4 that coupled to the fact tthat we are almost out of buildible land at tthe museum site. Rob

[Gunns]

Saturday 3 Sept. 05
Had a short day today but we managed to re crib the tender oil bunker so that the last spot remaining to be cleaned and painted can be worked on Also we started to re assemble the brake rigging on truck #13, the back half is re assembled, except for the cylinders and "one more bearing" I found that need replacment. this involved 2 20 ton jacks and a 10 tonner to move all the linkages in to position, so as to allow the bering pins to be re installed. Hopefully we will be able to connect Air to the cyl set next week and opperate/ adjust the last half of the trucks brakes. <2 wheel sets>

More to come,
Gunns

[Gunns]

Wends 7 Sept 05

More trucks to day...
made more bearings, installed brake linkage adjusting shoe. Mesured and started fabrication of fuel oil and boiler water supply gaskets. Compleated survey of welding needed before tender reassembly. <We want to get every thing done while the trucks are accessable>

More to come,
Gunns

[trolleyboy]

hello again everyone. With the bulk of our running season done. ( we are back to weekends and holidays for Sept/Oct ) we have begun in earnest our winter projects. Track tamping on the new mainline switch for our new barn and yard 4 have been completed. On the rolling stock front snowsweeper S37's new floor is finished and the west end broom control motor is running again so indeed we can through snow with it this fall and winter should the need arrise. large Witt 2424's electrical and brake refurbishing is done and the electric heaters and govener are installed and working. Painting left to happen and she's ready for full service [tup] This is good news as we will have two Witt's one small and one large for next years operations. Our next big event is comming up on Sunday sept 18th "Transit day" All former and current transit employee's will be allowed in free. We will be having a charity dunk tank and BBQ going on our GM and some TTC execs are going to be in the tank! One thing to note is that we will have 9 or 10 different cars running all day that day for the speacial event. The non usual suspects will include Snowsweeper S37, gringing train ( mu'ed pcc's ) W30 and W31, Oshawa line car 45, L&PS # ( this will be a last minute decision the day of ) grinding car W28 and the usuals PCC 4000 Small witt 2894, open car 327 hopefully air electric PCC 4000 and Combine MS&C 107. Should be a wonderfull day if you are in the Toronto area come and check us out ! Rob

[Gunns]

Sat 10 Sept,05

Big day to day,
Found and replaced yet another Bearing/bushing on truck 13 and reassembled another adjusting rod and bell crank, and am now awaiting welding of wear plates and restoration of the break beam for final assembly. Also we found yet 2 more bushings that need replacment, going to make them Wends.
This is the end of the truck with the compleated re assembled brakes.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adw?full=1
This is a side view of the trucks showing the adjusting rods.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adx?full=1
This is the mounting area where the brake beam undergoing restoration will be mounted
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/ady?full=1

Meanwhile, the oilbunker recived cleaning of the last 4x6 foot area where the cribbibg was in the way. also some last blocks of dunnage were cut out and oiled for the reassembly. Needlescaling continues on the tender trucks, and the king pins were sandblasted and painted prior to thier reinstallation. In the office the drawings are now beeing sorted and marked for easier location.

Also this was our monthly meeting, among other things brought up was the need for a BNSF saftey class so we can opperate on the Main Line.
During Lunch, most of the crew went down to the yard to look at the "Rail Runner" cars that have just been delivered from Canada
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/adu?full=1

More to come,
Gunns

[trolleyboy]

Hi again. Kevin nice progress as per usual. You folks in the steam restoration end never cease to amaze me ! A slight change to the 18's operating roster. If we have the right crew members ( trained and cleared for car type ) Chicago "L" car 48 and the TTC red gloster subway caar set may a make rare running appearance. We mounted a pole on the two car set to allow them to run off our overhead as the museum is not set up for on the ground third rail pick-up. This is a safety issue. The not prototypical we felt that it was safer and more prudent to do this minor change. The cars don't care where they get their 600v from. These heavy brute built in the UK are the only red set glosters left. The TTC has a couple sets of the later silver aluminum glosters sets that were built in Thunderbay, which they use for training and mow uses.The 45t a set red glosters are the first subway car type that the TTC purchased for the openning of the yonge street subway line ( 1st in Canada and Toronto ) in 1953. Rob

[Gunns]

Wends. Sept.14,05

"When I was younger I went Spelunking a lot, then I got thicker around the waist and thought I would never use the skills again...."

We have Heard that WABCO is going to discontinue making brake cyl caps in the 6" to 18" sizes from our Locomotives time period. So we decided that we need to find the sizes we use and order enough parts to supply us for our future needs. We went to the loco and started to count brake cyls, and sizes... Basicly we have 4 cyls that are 14" and 4 that are 8" on the Loco, and 8 cyls 9" in dia on the tender.

3 of the big cyls on the loco are compleatly enclosed by the frame, and our drawings refered us to a WABCo drawing we dont have...

Entry into the space under the loco <hence the caveing refrence>
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/ael?full=1
one of the 3 enclosed brake cyls,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aeb?full=1
looking forward from the last driver,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aec?full=1
looking out through the driver at a tender truck,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aed?full=1
the firebox truck pivot point,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aee?full=1
a driver brake shoe,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aef?full=1
last driver crank pin from inside the frame,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aeg?full=1
Travis inside,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aem?full=1

we finaly found the recording marks on the cyls "on top"

entry to the top of the frame,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aen?full=1

In spite of the fun, hunting for info, we had work to do, the 2 bushings were made and heat treated, pressed in to the beams, and set up or installation.
the parts ready to install,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aeh?full=1
the installation location,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aei?full=1
the parts installed,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aej?full=1
th location wehere the belcrank will be installed,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aek?full=1

Note we have not compleatly connected all the parts as we are awaiting welding on the brake shoe beam and the wear plate.

In the office cataloging, sorting, and filing of the drawings continues, now that they have all been scaned in to the data base. <side note, we will eventually have all the drawings avalible on a CD ROM >

more to come,
Gunns

Drawbars --- Hard hat for scale

[trolleyboy]

Wow good picture as always Kevin. I'd say grab your parts while you can. A possibility. Several years ago we needed bearings and bearing caps for our Jewett car company built interurban car L&PS #8. We called around to many a supplier and found a company that still had 4 sets in stock. These were manufactured in the 40's but were still packed in shipping grease and fine. We bought all of them and the company which no lnoger made this size sent us their patterns and drawings.We hold the patterns and when more are needed we ship them out to a local foundry. Perhaps wabco would do this for you folks ( worth an ask I'd say ) Rob

[Gunns]

Sat 17Sept05

Today we checked the opperation of the spring mounted shock absorbers of truck 4, (one of the tender trucks) of the four only one had been seized and it was freed up with no problems in our 20 ton press.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afa?full=1
After that we prepaired for some infastructure additions, we are obtaining another 40' shipping container to store tools and supplys, this will allow more room int the machine shop can, and also in the engine parts storage can. Also we made inprovments to our mobile scaffold, adding metal flooring to the deck and attaching a permanent ladder to the side.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aer?full=1
Our clubmember, Mr Atwell, was here and started in in some of the many welding jobs.
this allowed us to install the last bellcrank on truck 13.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aeq?full=1
The office crew after a long morning hacking away at the packaged lesson plan project escaped the pffice and started chiping away some of the many layers of paint that were applied during the park years. (in some areas the paint is over 1/8 of an inch thick)
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aew?full=1
Now some additional photos,
This is the stack lifter
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aes?full=1
this is the dynamo
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aet?full=1
this is the left side aircompressor
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aeu?full=1
Here are the aircompressors on the pilot deck
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aev?full=1
this is the ATS sensor mount on the trailing truck
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aex?full=1
here is the power reverse
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aey?full=1
and this is the Chassis lube pump
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aez?full=1
More to come,
Gunns

[Anonymous]

I'm an associate member of the Heart of Dixie RR museum located in Calera, Alabama. Visited the museum recently and was wandering around their back lot when to my shock and surprise I found they had a Trainmaster locomotive!

According to the VP of operations, this particular locomotive belonged to the US Army. The museum had been able to start the locomotive as recently as six years ago.

I don't know nuthin 'bout no diesel locomotive restoration... and everyone else is busy keeping the excursion runs going. I was cordially invited to work on the Trainmaster if I was so inclined... so... my question to the museum restorers out there is... Where in heaven's name would I even begin on a project like that?

Erik

[Gunns]

Erik,
I dont do much with ICEs but the first thing to do is a survey, Check the prime mover, (oil, coolant, fuel contanamation), and see if you can move the crankshaft through a revolution by hand. (most prime movers have a manual advance). Then check the condition of all the hoses, and insulation (cracks, leaks, electical burn through) After all that check the traction motors, if you can get a meter reading on all the coils, looking for dead coils. Futher check the mecanical condition of the running gear and brake rigging, and the frame. Dont be too worried about the cosmetic exterior, as that is usally the last thing done in a restoration. Something that may help is getting the Army manuales for the Loco, try for the TM that ends (TM number) in 34 or 35 this is usally the Depot level repair set, and also get the "34P' which will be the parts list. the Army Transportation Museum at FT Eustius may be able to help.

This is just the surface of the "Thing", but I hope it helps

Gunns

My GenSet a 550KW White Superior

[trolleyboy]

Eric another avenue for you is right to the Candian railway Museum in Delson Quebec. They have several FM locomotives CNR's only unit and a CP rail unit as well as some FM switchers and cab units. They may have some documentation or even parts that may be usefull to you. FM diesels are a bit more of a maintenance headache due to the fact that they are of the opposed piston variety. manuals are a must I should think. Please keep us informed, picture's would be good as well. Good luck [tup]. i have to say that our museums transit day on the 18th was a roaring success. Over 500 people thrpugh the doors and 9 different cars were operational through out the day! We are now preparing for our next and usually biggest days of the fall. Our halloween spooktaculars. We turn one of our car barns into a haunted barn as well as the red gloster subway cars. If the moons right the reaper express chases the service cars down the line. Dates for these events this year are sat oct 22 and sat oct 29th 6pm to eleven. The kids that come are encouraged to dress up ( moms and dad's too ) If everyone goes to page 7 of my railimages account you will see the "Reaper"on it's first runs outside of the crypt for this year ! Rob

[Gunns]

Wends Sept 21,05

To day we worked on the strainer basket that sits in one of the two oil fill ports in the oil bunker. one of the fill baskets is in orignal condition and needed no work except cleaning, but the other had a place where a crowbar or something was forced through the mesh breaking the wires. Repair involves cutting the mesh and folding the wire to make an even and reinforced opening and then riveting a mesh patch over the hole. The hole has been cleaned up and the patch is beeing fabricated.

Also we worked on the water outlet valves of the tender, both of the water feed valves were in good condition, with little or no wear on the brass valve (the moving or stopper part of the valve) but with pitting on the cast steel valve body and seat. A tool was fabricated that we are using to grind the valve seat back to the orignal profile, this tool is a grinding wheel that has been formed with a dressing tool to the valve seat profile and put on a mandrel with a centering "plug", much like a router bit. The valve seat is a 45 Deg. angle, running from 3.75 to 4.5 inches. the first (of two) valve body has been ground (and lapped).
Also the never ending needle scaling of the tender trucks (prepretory to painting) continues, the size of the surface area of a 8 wheel buckeye truck is amazing.
The lesson plan Education package was finalized and edited to day 3 copys will be produced for display at an educators fair at UNM this week the "Box" includes a 85 page manual of lesson plans and information K to 12 with the associated bench marks, two rail history books, the safety coloring book, a 2926 poster, a set of CD roms Showing the history of the 2926 and work to date, and an evaluation form. We have a grant to produce a large number of the "lesson in a box" kits and will have 50 of them at our open house next month.
Photos are coming tomrrow, (forgot to Dl the camera)
more to come,
Gunns

[daveklepper]

There is also a Cincinnati curved-side lightweight at the Pennsylvania Trolley Musuem in Arden, PA, that operates on part of the old Washington, PA - Pittsburgh interurban, still running as far as Drake as part of the Pittsburgh light rail system. That Cincinnati lighweight is from the West Penn Railways, and was built for a line northeast of Pittsburgh that was abandoned before WWII. Two of the cars were transferred to the "Coke Division" which operated Irwin-Greenville, Latrob (branch line) Connollsville-Uniontown with branches further to Brownsville, Fairchance, and Martin. One car was used for parts and the other operated until about 1953 on the Conollsville - South Connolsville local streetcar line, which usually required just one car. That is the car at the musum. But I am glad to know other Cincinnati lighweights have been preserved. Where I enjoyed riding the most was on the Lehigh Valley Transit's Allentown - Bethleham - Easton line. These were single end cars with very comfortable deep leather-covered seats, painted scarlet with silver trim. They were a good complement to the ex C&LE "Red Devils" that held down most of the Liberty Bell Alklentown - Philadelphia runs.

[Gunns]

Ok here are the photos,
This is the oil fill port strainer ready for a patch,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afd?full=1
This is the tender valve body and valve,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afc?full=1
This is some of the welding on the tender trucks,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aff?full=1
This is the injector water feed connection,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afg?full=1
And here are some of the new steps for the tender,
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afh?full=1


More to come,
Gunns

[Anonymous]

Hey, guys, thanks for the suggestions. I was in the Army for 14 years so I'm familiar with TM's... it also might explain why I didn't think about the museum at Fort Eustis, either.

Will follow up with some photos when I go back to "manually advance the prime mover".... if you hear a loud boom from the center of Alabama... don't worry! The last words most male Alabamans speak are... "Hey y'all, watch this!"

Erik

[Anonymous]

Gunns, it sure is terrific watching your crew do their restoration! I wi***he same kind of progress was being made on our UP 428 Consolidation.
Here's a pic of one of my favorite cars at the IRM:

We have a two-man team that is working on this 1927 Doodlebug. One of them donated $10,000 to the project, and it's my understanding that this one donation accounts for nearly all the funding. Now that's a dedicated guy!
I haven't mentioned our Nebraska Zephyr catastrophy on this thread, but you can see a few pictures of the damage at http://www.railimages.com/albums/dougsecrist/acc.jpg and http://www.railimages.com/albums/dougsecrist/acd.jpg
I have heard some scary figures on how much it will cost to fix our Zephyr. No one has estimated anything less than $130,000. We've got ourselves a real problem now.
I'm spending my time in the Diesel barn these days. They'll probably kick me out after they see what I did today on this locomotive

We're prepping the loco for repainting, and everyone except for me is happy to sand the really bad spots and leave as much paint as possible. I don't do that. Check my before and after pics that I took today.
http://www.railimages.com/albums/dougsecrist/acj.jpg and
http://www.railimages.com/albums/dougsecrist/aci.jpg
On a different subject, does anyone here want to do some newsletter trading? Our publication (Rail and Wire) is bi-monthly, and terrific every time!
Today was picture day at IRM. Our guys were doing a great job of assembling an interesting consist in front of our train station right up to when it started pouring down rain. There was still a few die-hard railfans that continued coming through the gates in spite of the weather, but I always feel badly for the paying public when this type of thing happens.

[trolleyboy]

Doug The newsletter trading sounds like a good idea. I'll have to check but we may already trade shop copies with you folks. I seem to remember seeing a copy or two of rail and wire around our crew room. Our news letter is called the Radial Report if you guys don't have it let me know and I'll get you a copy. As I said before our transit day was a success. Our next big flings will be the halloween spooktaculars on Oct 22 and 29 easily two of our busiest days of the year. Usually a thousand plus visiters each day most dressed up to ride the cars and tour the haunted barns. And maybe just maybe catch a glimpse of the famed reaper express through the mist in the woods. As awfull as this car looks it's actaually fully operational, just weathered. In actuallity its ex TTC subway grinder RT-7 one of three sisters of this class the museum owns. W-28 is a surface system gringer and car 55 has been restored to its original Toronto Civic railways passenger status and livery. Pictures of all three can be found in my railimages account, have a peak. as promised here's the first shop of light interurban car 416 of the old Ontario Hydro North York radial line. New roof installed wiring windows and doors and truck refurbishment still on going. This is the last car of this type left 1921build.We had run this car briefly in the eighties. Amazing since it was used as a house in a trailor park near Peterbourough for 30 years after it's retirement in 1949 [

[Gunns]

barndad,
I would be glad to trade News letters, but ous is only momthly <G>. On the Zepher, wait till some one actually does an on site survey, it may not be as much once the actually see the job.

Rob,
they look great, wish I had a running prime mover.

Sat. Sept. 24, 05

Today we finshed up the valve seats on the water supply valves on the tender. This involved making a new mandrel to mount the grinding wheel on, and reseting the angle on the wheel.
Also we patched the strainer basket that was holed during the park years, this is one of two baskets that fit in the two fill openings we have in the oil bunker.
The effort to remove the last of the oil glop on the bottom of the oil bunker continues, we have a hand sandblaster thar seem to (finally) be doing the job. I would be easy if we could just turn the tank over (Grin).
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afi?full=1
We also added enough panel track to allow us to roll the tender trucks back and forth for testing now that work on them is nearing compleation.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afj?full=1
Work on the tool boxes, is allmost compleat, with only some latch hooks to be made.
This is a photo of the shop area.
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afk?full=1
And here is a photo of the brake beam that is being repaired
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afl?full=1
The dip is an area where the beam was riding in the bracket, and is beeing built up with arc weld metal and ground back to profile.

More to come,
Gunns

[trolleyboy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper

There is also a Cincinnati curved-side lightweight at the Pennsylvania Trolley Musuem in Arden, PA, that operates on part of the old Washington, PA - Pittsburgh interurban, still running as far as Drake as part of the Pittsburgh light rail system. That Cincinnati lighweight is from the West Penn Railways, and was built for a line northeast of Pittsburgh that was abandoned before WWII. Two of the cars were transferred to the "Coke Division" which operated Irwin-Greenville, Latrob (branch line) Connollsville-Uniontown with branches further to Brownsville, Fairchance, and Martin. One car was used for parts and the other operated until about 1953 on the Conollsville - South Connolsville local streetcar line, which usually required just one car. That is the car at the musum. But I am glad to know other Cincinnati lighweights have been preserved. Where I enjoyed riding the most was on the Lehigh Valley Transit's Allentown - Bethleham - Easton line. These were single end cars with very comfortable deep leather-covered seats, painted scarlet with silver trim. They were a good complement to the ex C&LE "Red Devils" that held down most of the Liberty Bell Alklentown - Philadelphia runs.

Hi Dave thanks for stopping by. I'd dearly love to have a curved sider at our museum. My home town of St Catharines On had 12 which they ran in city service on the St Cargarines and Niagara Falls city lines of the NS&T. They bought them used in 1937 and ran them through to the end of city line operations in 1955. Our museum was only a year old at the time amd wasn't able to save some of the early equipment as we had no place to store it at the time. That's why alot of Canadain street rail system equipment ended up preserved stateside. Over the years we have negotiated trades in which we've picked up several historically significant pieces, but this is always a tough row to hoe. Pop by often. Rob

[trolleyboy]

Thanks Kevin 416 is one of two ( down from three ) long term projects. It was originally hoped that 416 would have been ready for the museums 50th aniversary last summer but short falls infundraising for it and a couple emergancy projects on our regular service cars put the restoration timetable off. I would guesstimate another full year year and a half beore the initial test runs. Rob

[Anonymous]

The effort to remove the last of the oil glop on the bottom of the oil bunker continues, we have a hand sandblaster thar seem to (finally) be doing the job. I would be easy if we could just turn the tank over (Grin).

Sounds like the oil is more like tar. Instead of sand blasting, would it be easier to steam clean it off?

Erik

[trolleyboy]

Not my extreme area of expertise but I would think a staem clean might just loosen the gunk easier.I'm sure that Kevin and Doug are more in tuned to this type of project however so I'll defer to their expertise. Iknow that we have used alot of spray lubricant to move stubborn rusted together parts. We are in the need for replacement pantagraphs foe our L&PS car. WE actually saved tthe pans from a sister but they are in rough shape. We must have gone through an entire can of spray lube to get the bearings on the pan arms off. Once we had them off though the rust was cosmetic and they now move quite freely. No substitute for good old fashioned elbow grease I suppose. Rob

[BR60103]

Rob: I just found this thread. Now I have the answer to why you didn't put pans on the Gloucester cars.
Just love Gunns's reports. When my wife is out, I'll go back and look at all the photos.